This document discusses Howard Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory. It provides definitions for key terms in the theory including convergence, divergence, over-accommodation, maintenance, in-groups and out-groups, self-handicapping, social identity, and norms. Giles developed the theory based on his earlier Speech Accommodation Theory to explain how people alter their communication styles to match those they interact with or distinguish themselves from others.

1. Rachael Bailey, HermonBrhane,
Sandra Peck,
Serenity Buie, and Brittany Wengert

2.  1- From whence doth it come?
 2- Watch CAT explained in a work environment!
 3- Convergence
 4- Divergence
 5- Over-Accommodation
 6- Maintenance
 7- In groups and Out Groups
 8- Self Handicapping
 9- Social Identity
 10- Norms

3.  THIS GUY
Howard Giles, professor of
linguistics and psychology
at the University of California,
Santa Barbara.
Giles Developed the Theory
Based off of his Speech
Accomodation
Theory of 1973

4. CLICK HERE to watch a video of communication
accommodation explained by example of a workplace!
{This video thoroughly explains
the theory and how it applies to
real-life scenarios, making it
easier to understand as an
applicable theory in life.}

5.  This term refers to the processes whereby two or more
individuals alter or shift their speech to resemble that
of those they are interacting with. There is a tendency
for people to become more alike in terms of linguistic,
prosodic or non-verbal features, including
pronunciation, utterance length, pauses, speech rates,
vocal intensities, as well as facial expressions and the
"intimacy of their self-disclosures"

6. Convergence is a strategy of adapting your
communication behavior in such a way as to
become more similar to another person.

7.  By the same token, divergence refers to the ways in
which speakers accentuate their verbal and non-verbal
differences in order to distinguish themselves from
others.
 On an interpersonal note, overdoing divergence—as
well as convergence—may offend others.

8.  a communication
strategy of accentuating
the differences between
yourself and another
person. It reflects a desire
to emphasize group
distinctiveness in a positive
manner and it usually takes
places when an individual
perceives interaction as an
intergroup process rather
than an individual one.

9.  Where one attempts to over do efforts in regulating,
modifying or responding to others while trying to
accommodate their communication style.

10.  Persisting in your original communication style
regardless of the communication behavior of the
other.
 Similar, yet different from divergence.

11.  In groups and are social groups to which an individual
feels that he/she belongs as a member. In groups
include family as well as people of the same race,
culture, gender, or religion.

12.  For out groups, an individual feels contempt,
opposition, or a sense of competition.
In group and out group formation and in-group/out-group
bias may affect a number of group phenomena such as
prejudice and conflicts between groups.

13.  The process of Self-handicap
is by which people avoid effort
in the hopes of keeping
potential failure from hurting
their self-esteem. Edward E. Jones
and Steven Berglas were the first
to theorize the idea of
Self-handicap. According to
them, self-handicaps are obstacles
created, or claimed, by the
individual in anticipation of failing
performance.

14.  The idea of social
identity is that group
memberships and
social categories that
we sue to define who
we are. This theory was
formulated in the
1970’s and 80’s by
Henri Tajfel and John
Turner

15.  Social norms are
the expectations
about behavior that
members of a
community feel
should occur about
a particular
situation.

16.  We accommodate our communication styles to match
those around us. At times, we lack this skill and create
obstacles for ourselves. In all it is important to
remember